


One Step Closer

by Mykael



Series: Twinsverse [7]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Attempted Murder, Crimes & Criminals, Drama, Emotional Manipulation, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Organized Crime, Teen Angst, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Twins, Vigilantism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:27:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26031883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mykael/pseuds/Mykael
Summary: “Carmine Falcone, Luigi Maroni, Franco Bertinelli, Stefano Mandragora, Arnold Stromwell, Rupert Thorne,” Black Mask started listing off, staring down at his desk. He looked up at Li and his men, his expression darkening “all some of the most prolific Crime Lords in Gotham History. I defeated them all, made my way to the top. The only thing left in my way now, is the Red Fuckin’ Hood. For twenty years we’ve fought. And yet here we are, still. I need something,anythingto give me an edge over this prick,” Mask growled, fist clenching on his cane.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd
Series: Twinsverse [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1178909
Comments: 9
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> >:3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dick - 41  
> Jason - 39  
> Keiran/Kaden - 16

“GOD DAMMIT!!!” Black Mask shouted furiously, slamming both of his fists on his desk. He swiped his arm across it and sent everything on it scattering across his office in a fit of rage. “Twenty years. Twenty fucking years I’ve been dealing with this... _ tumor  _ of a Crime Lord. The Red Hood has been interfering and undermining me for  _ TWENTY FUCKING YEARS!!!”  _ he roared angrily, throwing a desk lamp across the room. 

His men didn’t so much as flinch, having grown accustomed to their boss’s fits of rage. His right hand, less so. Li flinched when the lamp struck the wall, but turned his attention back to Black Mask and cleared his throat.

“How do you want to handle this, sir?” he asked. Black Mask glared at him and rose from his seat from behind his desk. He slowly rounded the desk, grabbing his cane and making his way toward Li. The man flinched slightly when Black Mask stopped in front of him.

“We’ve tried  _ everything  _ to get this bastard. Like the god damn Batman, nothing anyone tries fucking works,” Black Mask replied to him in a deadly calm tone. His eyes narrowed as he looked down the line of his men and began to pace. “Twenty years of this shit. Our only saving grace, is that this fuckin’ punk has gotten soft. We still have our lives.” Black Mask growled to himself, clenching his cane tightly.

“So what? He’s a meaner Batman, then? Not afraid to get his hands dirty?” one of his men asked, arching an eyebrow. Black Mask slowly made his way toward the man who opened his mouth and glared at him until the thug in question flinched under his gaze. Then, he struck him with his cane, hitting him in the stomach and then kneeing him in his face.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” Black Mask snapped, tone still even. He straightened the collar of his white business jacket, and then paced across the room again, back toward his desk. “This rivalry is going to go on until the day I fuckin’ die. Unless we can find somethin’ on him...he’s gotta have a weakness,” Black Mask muttered to himself.

“Shall we begin digging around to see what we can find on him, sir?” Li asked. Black Mask turned to him, lip canting upward into a snarl.

“That’d be a good start, yeah,” Black Mask replied. He turned toward one of his men and smacked him in the face with his cane. “IF WE KNEW WHERE TO START LOOKING!!!”

“Sir, your blood pressure--” Li reminded him, earning a glare from the Crime Lord.

“Shut the fuck up,” Black Mask interrupted. He rounded his desk again and took a seat, heaving a deep sigh as he collected himself.

“Carmine Falcone, Luigi Maroni, Franco Bertinelli, Stefano Mandragora, Arnold Stromwell, Rupert Thorne,” Black Mask started listing off, staring down at his desk. He looked up at Li and his men, his expression darkening “all some of the most prolific Crime Lords in Gotham History. I defeated them all, made my way to the top. The only thing left in my way now, is the Red Fuckin’ Hood. For twenty years we’ve fought. And yet here we are, still. I need something,  _ anything  _ to give me an edge over this prick,” Mask growled, fist clenching on his cane.

“Sir, you’re still the greatest Crime Boss in Gotham City! You control the lion’s share of it! Sure, there are a few other families, but they’re nothin’ compared to you!” One of his men tried to cheer him up.

“That’s not good enough. Gotham is mine. ALL mine. To share it with anyone else, evern that fuckin’ clown down at Amusement Mil--”

“You rang?” came a voice from outside Black Mask’s office. Black Mask’s men all drew their guns at the sound of the familiar voice as the door slowly swung open. The corpses of his door guards lay on the floor in pools of their own blood. A moment later, the Joker danced around the corner with a meat cleaver in one hand and a dagger in the other. “You know what they say; speak of the devil, and he shall come!” The Joker called out, giving a deep bow.

“Kill this clown,” Black Mask snapped. His men aimed their guns at him, but the grin never fell from the Joker’s face.

“Oh, you don’t wanna kill little old me, do you?” Joker asked, raising his hands.

“Yeah, I do. Waste him,” Black Mask ordered. The Joker giggled and then shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, I guess you  _ really  _ don’t want to kill The Red Hood after all.” The Joker giggled and grinned at Black Mask. The Crime Boss growled and raised his hand to signal his men to stand down.

“You’ve had twenty years to kill this fucker,” Black Mask snapped. Joker’s grin widened as he started pacing back and forth, twirling the meat cleaver in his hand.

“True, and a fun twenty years, it has been, lemme tell ya!” He replied.

“So you’ve just been ‘having fun’ for twenty years? You’re a fuckin’ lunatic,” Black Mask snarled. The Joker let out a laugh and gave another bow.

“Oh Maskie! Flattery will get you  _ everywhere _ !”

“Get to the point; why are you here? You got 10 seconds before my men waste your pasty ass,” Black Mask hissed. 

“Oh, Maskie, you’re so impatient!” Joker replied, followed by a demented giggle. “Point is, I  _ know  _ who this Hoodie is. I know who  _all_ these vigilantes are!” Black Mask’s eyes widened, but before he could say anything, Joker shushed him.

“But let’s focus on Hood for the moment, shall we? He was meant to be my masterpiece, my chef-d’œuvre, my pièce de résistance. And then he ruined it by  _ coming back _ ,” Joker growled, rage etched upon his features. But moments later, it melted away and morphed back into the grinning clown. “Here’s a fun little tidbit, just for free; he used to be Robin, Boy Wonder. Until I blasted that bird into the stratosphere! Deep fried him, like a Thanksgiving Turkey.”

“Hmm. Heard about that. So if he’s dead, why is he--” Black Mask started, but Joker waved his hand dismissively.

“Oh, details, details. All you need to know is--” the Joker started, turning toward Black Mask and grinning sadistically “I’m here to reclaim my artwork! You play along, and it could spell the end for Batsy, too…”

Black Mask was silent for a time, folding his fingers together and staring into empty space, deep in thought.

“Go on,” he replied. Joker giggled dementedly, grin spreading across his face.

“I thought you’d ever ask. Let’s start with something simple, shall we?” The Joker started, slowly moving toward Black Mask. His men lifted their guns, and pointed them at him, but the Joker ignored them. He turned to the man closest to him, then quickly slit his throat, sprayed acid from the flower on his jacket at another one, threw his dagger at the third, and then the meat cleaver at the last. He giggled hysterically as he pulled the meat cleaver free and then approached Black Mask’s desk, while Li retreated to a corner on the far side of the room. Black Mask remained unfazed, staring the clown down as he buried the cleaver in the desk.

“His name, for starters...is Jason Todd.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, no activity from Black Mask? None at all?” Red Hood asked his two lieutenants, Blackjack and Queenie. The two of them exchanged looks and shrugged their shoulders. They were currently meeting in one of the subway tunnels they’d fixed up a bit for the homeless, discussing their work on the streets of late. Black Mask had been oddly silent of late.
> 
> “No, not a thing, boss,” Blackjack replied. Red Hood frowned underneath his helmet; that didn’t bode well.
> 
> “He’s up to something. Keep your eyes peeled, I don’t trust that son of a bitch,” Red Hood said to the both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm. Not how I expected this chapter to go, but It was _a lot_ longer so I had to cut it down. The rest will be in the next chapter, and that's when it will start getting really fun. >:3

The twins Kaden and Keiran made their way out into the hallway with the rest of their classmates as the bell rang, signaling an end to the school day. Keiran ruffled a hand through his snow white hair as he glanced over at his twin and flashed a grin.

“So, looking forward to seeing Uncle Clark this weekend?” he asked. Kaden sighed as he dug through his pocket for his phone. He unlocked it and sifted through it a bit.

“Kind of. But they have no internet, so...kind of not,” Kaden replied, shrugging his shoulders despite the slight smile on his. Keiran snorted and started walking backwards, still talking to his brother.

“Oh c’mon, you can live without the internet for one weekend, you nerd!” Keiran teased. Kaden snorted in response, glancing over at his brother as the white haired teen turned forward again. Keiran wrapped an arm around his shoulders and poked him in the chest. “I happen to know you  _ like  _ the farm! It’s one of the few things we agree one!”

Kaden chuckled in amusement and wrapped his own arm around Keiran’s shoulders. The twins shared a look, and then they laughed.

“How are we related, exactly? The nerd and the jock? Seriously,” Kaden replied. Keiran scoffed in mock offense, placing a hand on his chest.

“Excuse me, but  _ I’m  _ the better looking twin,” he replied.

“We’re identical. We look the same. Except the hair, of course,” Kaden answered, arching an eyebrow. Keiran snorted.

“Yeah, yeah, but you’re missing the point; I’m still sexier and more handsome than you, because I’m me. And not you.”

“You’re a dickhead.”

“Shut up fuckface.”

“Oh, what are you, 5?”

“5 year olds don’t swear.”

“ _ You  _ did.” The twins laughed with each other as they stopped in front of their lockers, conveniently placed side by side. They started emptying their bags of the books and other things they wouldn’t need. They bantered back and forth a little bit about their trip to the farm this weekend, interrupted when some of their friends approached.

“There you two idiots are!” came Melinda’s voice from down the hallway. Kaden and Keiran looked to see a blonde girl, roughly their age. She was dressed in a black Invader Zim t-shirt with Gir on it, ripped jeans and checkered converse sneakers, and a black and white checkered beanie atop her head. 

The twins stood up, hefting their bags over their shoulders and waved the tomboy over. Melinda flashed a grin when she stopped in front of the twins, tightening the black band around her right hand a little bit.

“Been looking for you,” Melinda said, specifically to Keiran straightened up a bit and the two stared at each other with serious looks on their faces. Keiran broke first, apparently, as a grin spread across his face, then Melinda’s. Kaden rolled his eyes and snorted.

“Oh brother. Get a room you two,” Kaden teased, turning back to his locked as the two of them shared a brief kiss. Keiran and Melinda glanced over at Kaden and laughed.

“Aw, what’s the matter Kades, jealous?” Melinda teased, grabbing Keiran’s hand and enlacing her fingers with his. Kaden turned back to the two and shook his head.

“Oh god no. It’s just still weird to see you two...together,” Kaden answered, arching an eyebrow as he pointed back and forth between the two of them. “Anyway, you’re not my type--”

“Right, your type doesn’t have boobs,” Melinda teased playfully, making Kaden blush. The teen made a face of mock insult and placed a hand on his chest.

“I’ll have you know, I bat for both teams. I’m an equal opportunist!” he replied in a playful “matter-of-fact” tone. Kaden grunted when a hand slapped against his back, knocking him forward a bit. Kaden turned and glared at the person who did it, but it turned out to be his best friend, Michael. The Auburn haired teen, dressed in baggy white cargo pants, a white t-shirt and a black silk button up over shirt, stood behind him with a grin.

“Equal opportunist, huh? That’s fair. I’d date you, if I was into dudes,” Michael replied. Kaden snorted and shook his head.

“Me? Date  _ you _ ? Please dude, I have  _ standards _ ,” Kaden replied.

“Hey!” Michael mock pouted, earning a laugh from all his friends. The four of them walked down the hallway together, trading banter, jokes, and teasing each other. Keiran was about to break off from the group to head to the gym for Football practice, when a senior approached them. Kaden recognized him immediately; he was also on the gymnastics team and Kaden had a  _ huge  _ crush on him.

“Keiran, heya, glad I caught you,” Travis called, jogging down the hallway toward the group of friends. The older teen had black hair with platinum blond highlights, and his eyes were quite unique; he had one sky blue eye and one green eye. He was a whole inch taller than Kaden and Keiran.

“What’s up Trav?” Keiran asked. Travis brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes, his hand brushing over a silver earring. He glanced over at Kaden for a moment and Kaden’s heart began to beat a tic faster. He managed to keep himself in check and not turn redder than a tomato.

“I was on my way back from the gym, final class of the day, when the Football coach caught me. Told me to tell ya Football practice is cancelled for the day,” Travis explained, hooking a thumb over his shoulder. Keiran gave a no in reply and turned to his friends and his brother for a moment.

“Alright, thanks for the heads up,” Keiran answered. 

“No problem,” Travis replied, flashing a smile. When he turned his eyes on Kaden again, the teen blushed despite his best efforts. “Kaden, I saw your routine at practice the other day. Gotta say, you’re good. Your dad, Dick Grasyon, he was an acrobat for Haly’s Circus, right?” Kaden opened his mouth to speak, but it took a moment for words to form.

“Uh, yeah. The Flying Graysons. He...taught me some things,” Kaden admitted. Travis smiled at him and gave a curt nod.

“Cool. I’ll see you next week then,” he said, and turned to leave. Kaden watched him go for a few moments, eyes raking over his retreating form and stopping at his ass. Keiran poked his twin in the side with his elbow and grinned at the teen when he got his attention.

“See something you like, Kades?” Keiran asked in a teasing tone. Kaden’s face flushed pink, glaring back at his twin.

“Shut the fuck up,” Kaden snapped, earning a laugh from his brother and their friends. 

Once the group got out of the school building, they parted ways and said their goodbyes. The twins then made their way over to the parking lot where their car, a black 1967 Chevrolet Impala. Keiran jabbed his brother in the side playfully and flashed his twin a grin.

“C’mon, why don’t you ask Travis out on a date? You obviously like him,” Keiran teased. Kaden snorted in reply and waved his hand dismissively. He hated talking about his crushes with Keiran, especially the guys because Keiran always loved to tease him about his “horrible taste in men”.

“Because Travis is--”

“Don’t tell me he’s ‘out of your league’ or I’ll slap you upside your head,” Keiran cut in with a stern glare, fishing the keys to the impala out of his pocket. Kaden glanced over at him and arched a black brow. 

“This is so unlike you. You chased Jeremy away--”

“He was a cheating dickhead just looking to get into your pants--”

“And you scared Zachary off--”

“He’s a jerk and he’s fickle; he dumps people when he gets  _ bored  _ with them. He wasn’t right for you.”

“So why are you trying to set me up with Travis now?” Keiran chuckled and wrapped an arm around Kaden’s shoulders, flashing a genuine smile at him. 

“Because for the first time ever, you’ve chosen a guy that doesn’t suck.” Kaden rolled his eyes and snorted in amusement. So he finally found someone his brother approved of? What a shock. It was rather nice of his brother to be so protective of him when it came to dating, though to be fair, Kaden had his share of issues with his brother’s girlfriends. But when it came to his boyfriends, that was an area Keiran and their dad couldn’t seem to agree on more.

“Well thanks...I guess. Still--” Kaden started, but some movement near their car caught his eye. “Who is that?” he asked, pointing to a woman standing near their car. Keiran looked, following where Kaden was pointing and frowned when he saw her. He didn’t recognize her at all.

The woman in question had long black hair and was garbed in black leather; a black leather jacket, black leather pants, black gloves and black combat boots. Keiran and Kaden both shared a glance and noted the gun at her hip and a sword on the other. They approached her warily, but kept their distance all the same.

“Who are you?” Keiran asked.

“And what are you doing with our car?” Kaden added, crossing his arms over his chest. The woman pushed off of the car and approached them carefully, with her hands raised to show she was no threat.

“I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to protect you,” she said. Kaden and Keiran shared another glance, then Keiran crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t bother to try and hide his annoyance with the statement.

“Protect us from what?” The woman shook his head and opened the car door, gesturing inside. The twins shared another look, both of them having grown highly suspicious. She obviously picked the lock on their car, so what else had she done to it while they were in school? She obviously wanted them to trust her, but how could they, when she looked like she was ready for a fight.

“Explaining would take too much time and I would be forced to reveal secrets that are not my own to share,” she answered. “But I’m telling you the truth; you’re in danger and I’m here to help.” She held out her hand to the twins as he expression softened. Kaden and Keiran shared another look, but they were still wary of her. On the other hand, she genuinely seemed sincere in what she was saying.

* * *

“So, no activity from Black Mask? None at all?” Red Hood asked his two lieutenants, Blackjack and Queenie. The two of them exchanged looks and shrugged their shoulders. They were currently meeting in one of the subway tunnels they’d fixed up a bit for the homeless, discussing their work on the streets of late. Black Mask had been oddly silent of late.

“No, not a thing, boss,” Blackjack replied. Red Hood frowned underneath his helmet; that didn’t bode well.

“He’s up to something. Keep your eyes peeled, I don’t trust that son of a bitch,” Red Hood said to the both of them. Queenie and Blackjack nodded in reply, then wordlessly headed for the exit of the subway station. Hood for his part pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket and unlocked it; it was 3:30PM and his boys were likely already home by now. He also had three missed calls from Talia. Missed on purpose, however. He had nothing to say to her.

As he pocketed his phone and turned to leave though, it began to ring. Jason sighed and dug it out again. He answered it while he made his way out of the subway station and hopped onto his bike. It was his husband.

“Dick, what’s up?” he asked, sitting there for a moment so he could hear him.

“Jay, it’s the boys; Talia has them,” Dick said to him. Jason’s heart skipped a beat. His first instinct was to race around town looking for them but he knew that wouldn’t do him any good.

“Dick, are you--”

“She called me. She was trying to get through to you; the boys are in danger. She says she has intel that says Black Mask is targeting them.” Jason cursed out loud, explosively, and barely stopped himself from throwing his phone on the ground. He clinched his free hand on the bike handle. But that explained why Black Mask had been so quiet lately; he wasn’t just up to something, he was targeting his sons. But why?

Right now, the why didn’t matter. Jason took a deep breath then held the phone to his ear again.

“Do whatever you can to find them, Dickie. And make sure--”

“They’re safe. You don’t need to tell me twice. I love you, Jay.”

“I love you too, Dick. We’ll keep ‘em safe.” Jason hung up the phone and then turned on his bike. He put his helmet on and raced off down the street. He didn’t know why Black Mask was targeting his sons, but if they were harmed in  _ any way _ , it would be the  _ last  _ mistake he ever made, Bruce’s no kill rule be  _ damned. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hood here. Who's looking to die?” Jason asked in an annoyed tone. A laugh came from the other end of the phone, causing a chill to run up Jason’s spine; Joker. But the voice that spoke didn’t belong to him.
> 
> “Put us on speaker, Jason. We got a message for you little fucked up Batclan,” said Black Mask.

“Wait, you’re our  _ what?! _ ” Keiran shrieked at Talia, looking over at her from his place in the passenger’s seat. While they drove down the streets of Gotham, she told them her name, and revealed that she was their mother. Neither of the twins had taken that bombshell particularly well. Nor were they readily accepting it either.

“You heard me. I’m your mother,” Talia replied coolly, as if it was just a bit of casual conversation. She kept her eyes on the road and kept driving, completely unperturbed, but the twins most certainly were. “I can tell you don’t believe me--”

“Of course we don’t! You just show up one day, for the first time in our entire lives, tell us we’re in danger, haul us off in our own car and just  _ casually  _ tell us you’re our mother?! “You’re in danger, and by the way I’m your mother?” Seriously?!” Keiran snapped at her. Kaden for his part, remained silent but most certainly looked pissed with his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face.

“Damian told you his mother’s name, correct?” she asked, glancing over at Keiran, and at Kaden through the rear view mirror. She turned down a side street and then back onto one of the main roads again. Kaden looked out the window and recognized they weren’t heading home.

“Yeah, it was Talia. Are you saying--” Keiran started when Talia interrupted.

“Yes. I am the very same.”

“Hey, where are we going?! Home is the other way!” Kaden called out. Talia glanced at him in the rear view mirror and then turned her attention back to the road again.

“Home isn’t safe right now. As I say, you boys are in danger,” she said to them. Keiran scoffed and sat forward again, crossing his arms over his chest.

“And you can’t tell us why,” he snapped. Talia’s expression remained passive and blank; unreadable. It was hard to tell if she even cared about them, or what she felt about this situation. It was hard to tell if she felt anything at all.

“No, I can’t, But I can tell you who,” Talia replied without turning her eyes from the road. The twins waited patiently for her answer. She made another turn, then looked at her two sons, glancing at Keiran, and then at Kaden in the rearview mirror and said “Black Mask. And The Joker.”

“What? Why?” Kaden blurted out with a confused look on his face. Keiran frowned and looked back at Kaden, then to his “mother”. He knew why. Now that he was learning this was his mother, coupled with the fact that he knew all about his family’s vigilante lives, he was easily able to put it together. And it killed him to not be able to tell Kaden, but he kept it secret.

“She’s not going to tell us why, Kaden. Don’t bother,” Keiran snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. Talia flashed him a knowing look but offered no words. Kaden, thoroughly annoyed with this whole ordeal, huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms over his chest.

“This is really starting to piss me off,” Kaden commented, prompting Keiran to chuckle in amusement. Kaden lared at his twin, not sure what it was the other found so funny, but he could find no humor in this situation.

“You’re both so much like your father,” she said to them then as she turned down another corner. Keiran and Kaden exchanged a look, but before they could say anything--

“Look out!” Kaden shouted, pointing out the window to their right. A black van came flying at them at high speeds and crashed into their car. The twins grabbed onto whatever they could while Talia struggled to right the car. The car spun in circles until it hit a pole and Talia’s first instinct was to check on the boys.

“Kaden, Keiran, are you alright?” she asked, turning back to them. Keiran seemed relatively unscathed, but Kaden was unconscious. Keiran groaned and shook his head, but when he saw blood dripping down the side of Kaden’s head, he panicked.

“Oh god, Kaden!” he cried out, scrambling to get into the backseat. He cradled him in his arms as he tried to wake him up, shaking him gently while talking softly to him.

“Keiran, is he okay?!” Talia demanded to know. Keiran looked up but his words were gone; he only nodded in reply. Talia turned in her seat to get out of the car, but as she did, a man with a baseball bat hit her in the face. Talia grunted and fell back against the car and turned to see a couple of other men reaching into the car for Kaden and Keiran.

“No! Fuck off!” Keiran snarled, wrapping his arms around his brother protectively. He kicked at one of the men who yelped and pulled back. He pulled out a gun but the other stopped him.

“No! We have orders to take them alive! Get out of the car or we’ll kill your mother!” the man snapped, turning to the twins. Keiran looked toward Talia, whom they had at gunpoint, the gun pressed against her head. A second man had a gun pressed against her back as well, just in case.

Keiran weighed his options, and decided he had no choice. Maybe he could bargain for some medical help for his brother.

“Okay, but my brother is hurt! Please, he needs a doctor!” Keiran pleaded, slowly sliding out of the car. He gingerly grabbed his brother, wrapping the unconscious teen’s arm around his shoulders and wrapping his own arm around Kaden’s waist. He was keenly aware of the weapons trained on him though.

“Come with us, and you won’t be hurt,” the man ordered. Keiran snorted.

“It’s a little late for that, isn’t it?” he muttered as they led him to the van. Talia glared after the men who were taking her sons, wishing to be able to strike at them, but they had her in a precarious position at the moment; dead, there was nothing she could do. But as soon as they were in the man and ready to leave, the men who had her at gunpoint shoved her away and attempted to leave; big mistake.

Talia quickly whipped around and pulled out her hand gun, executing both without batting an eye. The man in the driver’s seat of the van quickly pulled away, cursing when a bullet pierced the windshield and hit his arm, but kept driving. Fortunately, she managed to tag the van in the chaos.  _ Unfortunately,  _ they had her children; someone was going to die for this.

* * *

Dick sat at home with his laptop open, tracking the boys by tracking their car. He’d been a little wary about Jason installing a tracking device in their car; he thought Jason was being paranoid and overprotective, but right now he was glad it was there. He kept Jason updated via comm link, but then the car came to a sudden stop.

“Jason, I don’t want to alarm you, but--” Dick started, trying to keep himself calm. As a parent, that was a difficult thing to do.

“But what?” Jason asked. Dick was silent for a moment and double checked, then triple checked the readings.

“The car...it suddenly stopped in the middle of Main Street,” Dick said softly. Jason’s heart started hammering in his chest. At that moment, he was glad he only had his domino on, because he found breathing to be rather difficult then. 

“What do you mean?” Jason asked.

“I don’t know, Jason. I can’t actually  _ see _ the car. It’s just not moving. But please, try and stay calm--”

“Stay calm?! Black Mask is after my sons, the car isn’t moving, and you want me to stay calm?!” Jason shouted into the comm. Dick was silent for a time, not ignoring Jason’s calls for him, but dressing in his bedroom. “Dick, please don’t ignore me right now!”

“I’m not ignoring you Jay, I’m still here. I was getting properly dressed. Look, I’m going to the manor. Please be careful Jay and don’t do anything stupid,” Dick said to him. “I love you.” Jason didn’t reply, which made Dick worry for a moment. 

“I love you too,” Jason murmured. Dick closed the laptop and made for the door, grabbing his keys off the wall and heading out of the apartment. He had to believe the boys were okay; Talia would  _ never  _ let anything happen to them.

* * *

Jason could feel the anxiety rising in his chest when he arrived at the scene of a crash; the Impala was still mostly intact, but there was nobody there, and worse, he could see bits of blood on the pavement. GCPD Officers were at the scene and traffic was being diverted around the crash. Jason wanted to go and check it out for himself, but The Red Hood showing up right now wouldn’t be ideal. And explaining why Jason Todd of all people was there...well…

Instead, he immediately headed for the manor. He fought back the tide of panic that threatened to overwhelm him; his boys were in danger, possibly in the clutches of Black Mask or  _ worse _ , the Joker. The latter frightened him a whole lot more than the former did, not that being Black Mask’s prisoner was any better.

It was difficult to keep his emotions in check on the drive to Wayne Manor. He was afraid, angry, and anxious all at the same time. When he arrived at the manor, parking his motorcycle just out front, he’d barely managed to keep himself from popping.

“Master Jason,” Alfred called, opening the front door before he could even reach it. Jason flashed a brief smile before making his way inside the manor, past Alfred. Alfred understood, because he was Alfred, and simply directed Jason to the cave. Of course, his anxiety turned to anger when he saw that Talia was down in the cave with Bruce, Dick, and Damian.

“What the  _hell_ is wrong with you?!” Jason shouted at her. Talia turned around, her face a passive mask, unreadable. “You took my sons without so much as a word to us! You could have fucking warned us ahead of time! We could have prepared for this! We--”

“Could have, would have, should have. The thing is, I don’t trust you,” Talian interrupted. Jason stopped in front of her and shot her a glare.

“Oh, that’s fucking ironic; who the hell are  _ you  _ to talk about trust?!” Jason snapped back.

“Enough arguing. We need to focus on saving Kaden and Keiran,” Bruce cut in. Damian glanced over at Jason and Talia and shot them both a disapproving look, though neither was fazed by it in the least. “Talia, your tracker seems to have worked. It stopped at the office building where Black Mask makes his home base. How the joker figures into this, is still a mystery.”

“Tch, shoulda let me execute that demented fucking clown ages ago. If he harms one hair on their heads, I’m blasting that clown’s brains all over the fucking pavement. And fuck your no kill rule,” Jason snarled, glaring at the image of the clown on the screen. Bruce said nothing as he worked on the computer to bring up the blueprints of Black Mask’s building.

“We’ll need to be exceedingly cautious if we want to bring the twins home. One false move, and he could kill them both,” Bruce explained, though everyone was already aware of that. “We--” Bruce started, but they were all interrupted when Jason’s phone rang. Jason dug through his jacket pocket for it and fished it out; unknown number. He hesitated for a moment, then answered it.

“Hood here. Who's looking to die?” Jason asked in an annoyed tone. A laugh came from the other end of the phone, causing a chill to run up Jason’s spine; Joker. But the voice that spoke didn’t belong to him.

“Put us on speaker,  _ Jason _ . We got a message for you little fucked up Batclan,” said Black Mask. Jason pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it in shock; Black Mask knew who he was and the reason why he targeted his sons became immediately clear. But he did as he was told and put the phone on speaker.

“Testing, one, two, three! Can ya hear me batsy?!” The Joker asked, followed by a demented giggle. Damian growled at the sound of the clown’s voice, sharing a look with his father.

“I’m here,” Damian declared, but the Joker laughed in response.

“Not you, Batbrat, the  _real_ Batman, not his knock-off,” Joker taunted. “We’ve got a little score to settle! Come out of your cave and play, Batsy, or your little grandbats will go out with a bang...just like daddy.”

“I will  _ fucking  _ kill you and dump your putrid corpse in slaughter swamp if you so much as--” Jason snarled angrily, resisting the urge to throw the phone. Black Mask interrupted him with a chuckle of amusement.

“So sweet, a father lookin’ out for his kids. Be a shame if something happened to ‘em.” Jason’s jaw worked, and his fist clenched by his side. He shared a look with everyone in the room, including Talia, and then sighed.

“What do you want?” Jason asked. Black Mask made a ‘hmm’ sound, then fell silent for a few moments. The silence in the cave was deafening as they waited for Black Mask’s demands, and possibly the Joker’s too. Every moment that passed, Jason’s heart beat a little faster; in that moment, he wasn’t thinking as a vigilante, as Red Hood or Robin, or as a detective. He was thinking as a parent, and his every instinct told him he had to do  _whatever_ it took to protect his kids.

“You’re gonna meet me in Bludhaven. Neutral ground. There, you and your little hubby are going to negotiate the terms of your surrender,” Black Mask declared, and Jason could practically see the smug grin on his face, through the phone. Jason shared a look with Dick and the man nodded in agreement, without hesitation.

“Fine. But how can we be sure the boys are okay?” Dick asked. Another silence filled the room, followed by a grunt. They could hear Keiran’s voice, cussing and shouting at someone from the other end of the phone, followed by a ‘fuck you, kid’ from one of Black Mask’s thugs. Jason and Dick shared another look, with Jason smirking.  _ That’s our boy . _

“Dad? Dad are you there?!” Keiran asked, a twinge of fear in his tone. Dick moved to Jason’s side and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, trying to ground him and keep him calm.

“We’re here, Keiran. Where’s Kades?” Dick asked. Keiran gasped, followed by a brief silence.

“Kaden is okay. But he’s hurt! His head--he needs a doctor--”

“And he’ll get one. Not to worry. Can’t have him dying now, can we? Gotta have some leverage, right?” Black Mask taunted. 

“Fuck you!” the heard Keiran shout in the background. Jason growled angrily, fist clenching by his side and resisting the urge to crush the fucking phone in his hand right now, while imagining it was Black Mask’s skull.

“I  _ swear to god _ , Sionis,  _ one hair _ out of place, and there isn’t a coroner alive who will be able to identify your led riddled corpse.” Black Mask chuckled in amusement at the threat.

“Cute. Real cute. But I hold all the cards this time. I’m calling the shots,” Black Mask replied in an even tone. The Joker giggled in the background and they could hear him singing some demented song they couldn’t quite make out the words to. Jason’s entire body began to tremble with a mix of fear and rage.

“We’ll get them back, Jay,” Dick whispered to him, brushing a lock of black hair out of his husband’s eyes. Jason’s expression softened slightly, flashing Dick a desperate look; to say this was bad, would be a colossal understatement.

“Bludhaven. One hour. Until then, you have my word that your boys will be fine,” Black Mask said to them, to which Jason scoffed.

“Your word? And what the fuck is that worth?” Jason snapped at him. Black Mask made another ‘hm’ sound.

“Quite a bit, actually. You forget I’m also a businessman? Damaged goods lower the negotiating price, after all.”

“They’re not  _ goods  _ you fucking psychopath! They’re my  _ fucking kids! _ ” Jason roared into the phone. The Joker cackled in the background again.

“See, what’d I tell ya? Angry bird’s got a temper!” Black Mask laughed at the comment, then heaved a sigh.

“Indeed. It’s nice to hear you lose your cool, Hood. If only I’d thought of this years ago. I can’t wait to see you squirm. Bludhaven. One hour.” Black Mask hung up on them after that, then Jason let out a frustrated yell. He resisted the urge to throw his phone, but god damn he wanted to hit something in that moment.

“I can have my agents ready to go at a moment’s notice. What Black Mask has done is unforgivable,” Talia started, her expression as blank and unreadable as ever. She looked over at Bruce, her eyes narrowing. “Of course, this would not have been an issue if not your for  _ code of ethics ,  _ love.” Bruce glared back at her, then Jason stomped forward and pointed an accusing finger at him.

“She’s right; this is  _ your fucking fault _ ! If you’d have just let me do what needed to be done years ago--”

“Shut your mouth, Todd! You know why--” Damian interrupted, stepping between him and his father.

“I’m sorry, Jason, but killing him--”

“Just like if you’d killed the fucking Joker, I wouldn’t have fucking died!”

“We should take this opportunity to kill both Black Mask, and the Joker--” Talia started. Jason turned to her and threw his arms toward her while looking at Bruce.

“Pragmatism at its fucking finest! Finally something we both agree on!”

“ENOUGH!!!” Dick shouted loudly, throwing his arms out in frustration. The entire cave fell silent and he looked around at each of them. “Now is  _ not  _ the time to fight amongst ourselves! We can argue about who is right and who is wrong later, but right now, Kaden and Keiran  _need_ us! They need us to work together and not fight amongst ourselves!” Dick called out. 

Jason snorted and crossed his arms over his chest, but offered no comment. Talia did likewise, but moved across the room with Damian to talk with him alone, and Bruce got up from the computer and moved across the cave. Curious, Dick and Jason followed him.

“What are you thinking, Bruce?” Dick asked in a hushed tone. The three of them stopped before a batsuit in a display case in the far side of the cave. The case was sitting by itself, away from the other costumes of all the Robins, and their various other identities. Inside the case was a Batsuit that looked mostly metallic, almost like armor, but more sleek and less clunky.

“I’m thinking it’s time for one final mission,” he replied, looking up at the suit before him. “I was content to pass the mantle of Batman over to Damian, but I had this suit made just in case. It’s a power suit of sorts that would allow me to fight as if I were still in my prime.”

“So you’re really going out there?” Jason asked in a calm tone. Bruce looked over at him and nodded. “Yes. For the boys. The Joker will accept no less.” Jason nodded in reply. This wouldn’t be the end of it though, and he figured Bruce knew that. He also figured Bruce knew what  _he_ was thinking, but neither of them said anything to the other...


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Just a thought. I could probably get about $30,000 just for you,” Black Mask said to Keiran, moving toward his desk. “I don’t usually traffic in slaves, but you look like you'd make a good toy. I’m a sadist, but that’s not what this is about. This is simply tit for tat.” Black Mask looked over at his men and gestured toward the twins. “Get them ready for transport to Bludhaven,” he ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:3

Keiran huffed in annoyance as he looked around the room he was in. It looked like an office, with a single desk and chair with a laptop on the desk. The desk was in front of a large window, overlooking the city below, with a potted palm plant on either side. As far as offices went, this one looked pretty plain, but Black Mask clearly had expensive taste, of the quality of the desk, office chair, and carpet alone were anything to judge by.

He was currently bound to a chair by some pretty strong rope, definitely not the kind you get for cheap at your local hardware store. His attempts to wriggle out of it were in vain; the bindings didn’t budge even the slightest. He glanced over his shoulder at his brother to make sure he was alright. Kaden was still unconscious as the doctor stitched his brother’s head up. The other teen was also bound and to another chair just a couple of feet away from him. Black Mask was currently nowhere to be found, but three of his thugs stood on the opposite side of the room.

“Hey, is he going to be okay?” Keiran asked, glancing over at the doctor. The doctor refused to answer him as he continued his work. Making a small sound of success when he finished. “Hey, asshole, I asked you a fucking question! Is my brother going to be okay?!” Keiran snapped angrily. The doctor finally designed to look at Keiran and scoffed at the white-haired teen.

“He’ll be fine,” he answered simply, standing back up to his full height. “Won’t even leave a visible scar. My work here is done. Can I leave now?” the man asked, turning to Black Mask’s thugs. One of them gave a nod of approval and then escorted the doctor out of the office, leaving the other two to guard the twins. Keiran huffed again, glaring out the window angrily, wondering what exactly Black Mask wanted from them. He had some suspicions though, and none of them were good, but he was going to find a way for them to get out of this alive.

“Nngh.” Keiran’s head snapped toward his brother when he heard the other groan.

“Kaden? Kaden, are you alright?” Keiran asked worriedly. Kaden shook his head a bit, lifting his head up to look around the room. He didn’t recognize where he was and that was pause for concern. The second cause was that he was no longer in the car, and lastly, when he remembered what happened.

“My head is killing me, and I’m apparently tied up. Please tell me this is some BDSM prank,” Kaden commented. Keiran snorted with held back laughter and shook his head.

“Unfortunately no, although a single glance at our host and I can see how someone could come to that conclusion,” Keiran answered. Kaden flashed a smirk as he struggled against the rope, then grunted with his efforts amounted to nothing. “Yeah, I tried the same thing. Not that it would matter, with Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dee over there,” Keiran said to Kaden, nodding toward Black Mask’s men.

“Great. Babysitters. And ugly ones at that,” Kaden commented, rolling his eyes. One of the men snarled and approached the two teens.

“You brats better shut you’re fuckin’ mouths. Tired of listenin’ to you mouthy little pricks,” the man said, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to look bigger and more intimidating. Keiran glanced over at Kaden and snorted with held back laughter.

“You hear that Kades? He’s tired of listening to us,” Keiran joked. Kaden giggled a bit and turned his head enough to look at the guy out of the corner of his eye.

“Him and a bunch of other people. You could all form a club,” Kaden giggled. The man’s lip canted upward into a snarl as he raised his hand to backhand one of the teens.

“Mouthy little fuck,” the man snapped, but Black Mask caught his hand and shoved him away. “B-boss, I--”

“Go stand in your fuckin’ corner and do your damn job. They’re baiting you, you fuckin’ toddler,” Black Mask snapped at him. The man nodded and retreated to his post, glaring at his comrade who was giggling beside him. “Fuckin’ newbies. They’re a pain in the ass,” Black Mask commented to the twins, hooking a thumb over his shoulder toward the two guards. Keiran snorted at the man, shooting him a glare. Black Mask was unfazed, but he did give a bit of a chuckle at the glare.

“You got balls, kid. There are few people in this city who’d look at me like that.” Black Mask approached him, and Keiran growled at him.

“What do you _want_ with us?” Keiran asked, even though he knew. Kaden glanced over his shoulder, trying to see Black Mask, but also see his brother. Black Mask turned to the white-haired teen and slowly approached him.

“Want? Where do I begin? Well, for starters,” the man started, kneeling in front of the teen. He reached out toward Keiran’s face and the teen pulled away, but could only move so far. Black Mask gently patted Keiran’s cheek, then carded his fingers through his hair. A chill ran up Keiran’s spine, fear coursing through him about what he feared was going to happen. “A handsome, strapping young lad like you would fetch me a small fortune. Cute blue eyes, exotic hair color. Young, and...probably sexually active, right?” Black Mask asked, tilting his head to the side a little.

“Get your hands off my brother you fucking pervert,” Kaden snarled, struggling with renewed effort against his bonds. Keiran’s breath started coming out more heavily as anxiety blossomed in his chest, fighting against the ropes that held him.

“I know some guys over in Bludhaven who would pay a small fortune for a boy like you. A couple rounds in bed, having you begging and moaning beneath them,” Black Mask said softly. Keiran shut his eyes and shook his head, trying to lean away from Black Mask’s touch. The man ran his hands down Keiran’s chest, toward his belt. 

“Leave him alone, now!” Kaden roared angrily, rocking his chair back and forth, trying _anything_ to get free. But then suddenly, Black Mask pulled away and stopped everything. Keiran opened his eyes and let out a shaky breath, eyes slowly lifting toward his captor.

“Just a thought. I could probably get about $30,000 just for you,” Black Mask said to Keiran, flashing a grin as he moved toward his desk. “I don’t usually traffic in slaves, but you look like you'd make a good toy. I’m a sadist, but that’s not what this is about. This is simply tit for tat.” Black Mask looked over at his men and gestured toward the twins. “Get them ready for transport to Bludhaven,” he ordered. The two men approached the teens but paused when the Joker came crashing through the door, throwing it wide open and strutting in like he owned the place.

“What do you want now, clown?” Black Mask growled, storming across the room. The Joker giggled and gave a bow.

“Apologies, Blackie! But I’ve come to collect my share!” The Joker replied as a wicked grin spread across his face. Black Mask scoffed and shook his head, shrugging his shoulders.

“Your share? Of what?” Joker giggled again and lurched forward, taking out Black Mask’s two guards and dropping them unconscious on the floor. Black Mask retreated toward his desk and attempted to call for help, but Joker pulled out a gag gun with a boxing glove at the end of it, and shot it at Black Mask, sending him crashing against the wall.

“My share of the Batbrats, of course,” The Joker giggled, turning to Kaden and Keiran. He pulled out a bottle of chloroform and a rag and drenched it, ignoring the twins’ protests. He covered Kaden’s face with the rag, laughing at Keiran’s enraged insults and taunts. “Time for a little nap,” he said and then hefted the unconscious Kaden over his shoulder.

“Hey! Come back! Where are you taking my brother?!” Keiran shouted, struggling more than ever to break out of his bonds. The Joker giggled hysterically at the teen’s pleas. 

“Oh not to worry! Not a hair upon his head will be harmed! Just your grandpa!” The Joker giggled and then retreated from the room, with Keiran calling after him.

* * *

Red Hood and Nightwing arrived in Bludhaven, a drive that only took half an hour. When they got there, they were forced to wait for Black Mask to set up the meeting place. Of course, waiting was never Jason’s strong suit, especially not when his kids’ lives were in danger. But for the moment, they waited on the rooftop of a warehouse until Black Mask called them with the location. 

“I don’t like this,” Hood complained, crossing his arms over his chest. Nightwing was pacing across the roof behind him, playing with his escrima sticks. He stopped and glanced over at Hood at the man’s complaint and frowned.

“I know, and neither do I, but what choice do we have?” Nightwing asked. Hood heaved a sigh and pulled off his helmet, still wearing a red domino mask on his face, and tucked the helmet underneath his arm.

“None, really. But I’ve been dealing with Black Mask for more than twenty years. He’s a sadistic fuck. Whatever he wants, the price is going to be steep,” Hood replied, glancing over at Nightwing. Nightwing padded toward Hood and placed a hand on his shoulder. Hood looked over at him and Nightwing gave his shoulder a squeeze, and then smiled at him.

“We’ll handle it, like we always do. Everything will turn out fine,” Nightwing reassured him. Hood sighed and placed his hand on top of the other man’s. He nodded in reply, his free hand combing through his hair. A few moments later, Hood’s phone rang. He dug through his pocket for it and unlocked the phone. He had a text message from Black Mask, containing an address.

“We’ve got the location. Let’s go,” Hood said to Nightwing. The other man nodded in reply, both of them hopping off of the roof and onto their motorcycles. Fortunately, it was only a couple of blocks away from their current location. And the irony was palpable; their meeting location was at a church.

“A church,” Hood commented. Nightwing looked up at the stained glass windows above and shook his head in disapproval.

“Of all the places in the world to do something like this,” Nightwing added. Hood headed inside, with Nightwing behind him.

“Dad!” Keiran called out. Hood’s eyes darted toward the white-haired teen and saw him bound and sitting on the floor in front of the altar with three guards surrounding him. Each one was armed with a gun and pointed at him. Black Mask came from the side and stood in front of the aisle.

“Where is Kaden?!” Hood snarled. Black Mask ignored him for the moment, opting to stare him down. Hood drew his guns and pointed them at Black Mask. “I asked you a fucking question; _Where. Is. Kaden?”_

“The Joker took him. But you still got this one. One out of two ain’t so bad,” Black Mask replied. Hood growled angrily, but Nightwing placed a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay. Remember, Bruce and Damian stayed in Gotham to hunt down the Joker,” he whispered. Hood gave a nod in reply and turned his attention back to Black Mask.

“What do you want?” Hood snapped. Black Mask chuckled in amusement, glancing back at Keiran.

“In hindsight, maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I should just sell the kid,” Black Mask taunted. Hood clenched his teeth and his fists; he wanted too badly to shoot this fucker. “Handsome young lad like him would fetch a nice price on the market, right? Maybe I’ll let my men take turns with him--”

“You better shut the fuck up _right now_ or I’m going to blow _so many god damn holes_ in your fucking desiccated old corpse, no coroner on Earth will be able to tell the difference between the flesh and a fucking led,” Jason snarled, fury surging through his veins like fire as he glared at the object of his hatred.

“He’s trying to bait you; don’t let him,” Nightwing cut in. Black Mask laughed in amusement and held his arms out.

“Yes, listen to _Dickie-bird,_ Jason,” Black Mask taunted, earning a round of laughs from his men. Jason’s fists clenched tighter around his guns. “Here’s how this is gonna go; you’re gonna surrender all your territory to me. All your territory, your connections, your men, all of it.”

Jason growled low to himself. He’d spent the last two decades building everything he had. Unlike Black Mask or other Crime Lords, he didn’t have an “empire”. He was genuinely in this to improve life for the people of Gotham, _especially_ in The Bowery. Giving all of that up to Black Mask? Well, if it wasn’t for the fact that Keiran’s life was at stake, he would never make that deal.

“And just how is this going to work?” Jason asked in a calm, even tone. Black Mask grinned and pointed at Jason and Nightwing.

“Simple. I kill you both and make sure you never get the chance to double cross me. Waste them. And if they move, kill the kid,” Black Mask ordered. Several of Black Mask’s men filtered in from the back room with their guns ready. Fortunately, Dick and Jason had a plan. They exchanged looks, and then--

“Gah!” one of the men shouted in pain. Black Mask turned to see one of his men had an arrow protruding from his chest. Suddenly, black clad assassins began pouring into the church, crashing through the windows, arrows and bullets flying and Black Mask’s men dropping like flies.

“What the fuck,” Mask shouted, attempting to make his retreated.

“Talia, stop!” Dick shouted, stepping forward when he spotted her near the back of the room. But she ignored him and charged at Black Mask. The Crime Lord swung his cane at her, but she easily avoided it, and slit his throat with her sword. “No!” Dick shouted. But Jason didn’t utter a word. In fact, he rather enjoyed watching that scumbag die. No, his first instinct was to run up to Keiran and free him. While the fighting raged on around him, he hugged his son to his chest and ran his fingers through Keiran’s snow white hair.

“Are you okay?! Did they hurt you?!” Jason asked. Keiran hugged his dad tight, then looked up at him and shook his head.

“No, I’m fine, but Kaden--”

“Grandpa and Dames are going after him. Don’t worry. Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said, helping the teen to his feet. Jason steered Keiran toward Dick, then waved after them. “Get him out of here, I’ll handle this!” he called. Dick nodded in agreement, pulling Keiran into a quick hug before leading him out of the church.

While the League Assassins were busy with Black Mask’s men, Jason strode slowly toward the Crime Lord. He stopped beside Talia and the two exchanged a look; they silently agreed on this one thing, as Jason turned a gun on the man and glared down at him.

“I should have done this a long time ago, you son of a bitch. But threatening my son? _Last fucking straw_ ,” Jason snarled. Black Mask’s eyes widened as he grabbed at his throat, unable to speak. Jason pulled the trigger, ending Black Mask’s life once and for all.

“You’re not worried about what your ‘father’ would say?” Talia asked him, arching an eyebrow. Jason snorted.

“What Bruce doesn’t know, won’t hurt him. Besides, he was dying anyway; call it mercy. He didn’t even deserve it,” Jason snapped, storming out of the church and leaving the Assassins to mop up Black Mask’s men.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Your grandpa is Batman!” The Joker replied, kneeling down beside Kaden and pointing toward the photos. He put on a thoughtful expression, and then shrugged. “Well, he used to be. Now it’s your boring half-brother, what’s-his-face!” The Joker giggled and danced away from Kaden. He circled around the teen then and knelt on the opposite side of the pile of photos from him.
> 
> “My grandpa was Batman? And Damian? You’re nuts!” Kaden scoffed. He glanced down at the photos, but even with that, how could that be true? If his grandfather was Batman, surely he’d have told him by now….right?

Kaden groaned softly as he came to, eyes drifting open slowly. He shook his head to take himself up a bit more, then looked around the room so see where he was. The room was dimly lit by a single light bulb. The rest of the room was too dark to make anything else out, but he could hear someone laughing. He didn’t need to see them to know who it was. A chill ran up Kaden’s spine, because he recognized that laugh as belonging to the Joker.

“Look who's finally awake! The little batbrat!” came the Joker’s voice. Kaden looked around the room, trying to see him in the dark. Anxiety took hold despite his efforts to stay calm. He’d seen enough on TV to know the Joker was, in a word, terrifying. 

Kaden struggled against the ropes that bound him, followed by a sigh of frustration. Being tied up was becoming a theme today, and not in a fun way. He didn’t even know where he was, and that made things worse. Did anyone even know he was here? Someone had to.

“What do you want with me?” Kaden asked, glancing toward the silhouette of a man in the shadows. The Joker giggled in reply and flipped a switch, setting all the lights on and revealing that they were in a circus tent. Kaden looked around but the place was empty, save for the bleachers and the trapeze above. It seemed oddly fitting that the Joker would kidnap him and take him to a damn circus tent. 

The Joker stopped in front of Kaden, sporting his infamous grin. He grabbed the teen by the jaw and forced their eyes to meet.

“What do I want with you? Oh, that’s easy! You’re bait to lure out your grandpa!” Joker giggled. Kaden snorted and pulled away from the clown, shooting him a scathing glare. The Joker started circling around him with his arms behind his back, whistling the tune to “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.” He stopped when he stood in front of Kaden again and said “oh that’s right, you don’t know, do you?”

“Know what? That you’re a demented freak?!” Kaden snapped. The Joker let out another giggle and nodded his approval.

“I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?” he asked, grinning from ear to ear. Kaden struggled against the ropes again, then let out a frustrated sigh when he failed to even move the ropes.

“What are you going on about?!” Kaden growled. The Joker whistled loudly and turned toward the exit of the tent. One of his clown thugs came into the tent carrying a black briefcase and handed it over to his boss and then Joker dismissed him. The clown prince turned back to Kaden and opened the suitcase, dumping its contents onto the ground in front of him. Kaden watched as photographs fell onto the ground, photos of Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and various others. He even saw some of his father, of his papa, of grandpa Bruce, almost everyone he knew.

“Your grandpa is Batman!” The Joker replied, kneeling down beside Kaden and pointing toward the photos. He put on a thoughtful expression, and then shrugged. “Well, he used to be. Now it’s your boring half-brother, what’s-his-face!” The Joker giggled and danced away from Kaden. He circled around the teen then and knelt on the opposite side of the pile of photos from him.

“My grandpa was Batman? And Damian? You’re nuts!” Kaden scoffed. He glanced down at the photos, but even with that, how could that be true? If his grandfather was Batman, surely he’d have told him by now….right? But there was more; pictures of Nightwing and his papa, Red Hood and his father, even some of Damian, Tim, and what looked like various Robins. But for all he knew, it was just a random collection of photos...all of them of his family, and the vigilantes of Gotham.

“Am I? Did you ever wonder where your daddies went at night? Hmm?” The Joker asked him, circling the teen again. “Let me guess, they told you they had some ‘night jobs’ but never what those jobs were?” Kaden’s mind began swirling with questions and possibilities. There had to be logical answers...there was no way his family...no way his dad was...what the Joker was implying...his dad was the Red Hood? A Crime Lord? And the rest of his family, all vigilantes?  _ No. No, it’s not possible. _

“It’s not true. You have to be lying,” Kaden murmured. He shook his head, still opting to deny it, even despite the “evidence” and the questions the Joker had put into his head now. Speaking of the devil, he started giggling at Kaden’s weak denial of it all. 

“Oh, what’s the matter, boy? Did you  _really_ think you knew your family as well as you thought? Didn’t know they were hiding entire second lives from you, did they?” Joker asked, cackling as he pranced across the room. He pulled a crowbar out of his purple coat and spun it in the air. “Fun fact; I killed your daddy once! And this is the very same crowbar I used to beat him to death!” The Joker taunted, showing Kaden the crowbar. 

Kaden looked up at the Joker’s taunt, eyes falling on the crowbar, caked with old, dry blood. His eyes darted up to the grinning face of the Joker, shooting him a glare.  _ The Joker killed my father? But he’s still alive . That seals it; he  _ has  _ to be lying. _

“My dad is still alive, you dumbass! You’re lying!” Kaden snapped, but then he flashed a confused look when the Joker started laughing. The clown doubled over, clutching his stomach as he laughed. Kaden snorted in annoyance, glowering at the demented clown. “What’s so damn funny?” 

“Your naivete is adorable! Although I should clarify, it was the bomb that killed daddy, and not my crowbar! He was my masterpiece!” The Joker declared, throwing his arms out. “The second Robin, murdered by yours truly! But then he took a little dip in the Lazarus Pit and became--”

“The Red Hood,” Kaden murmured. The Joker sauntered up to Kaden and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, poking him in the chest with his finger. 

“You got it!”

“It’s over, Joker,” came Batman’s voice. The Joker danced away from Kaden and cackled when he beheld not one, but two Batmen. They stood side-by-side at the entrance of the circus tent. One of them was garbed in the traditional batsuit, while the other wore a more metallic looking suit, sans the cape. The teenager looked toward them and was confused to see two Batmen. How could there be two?! Unless…

“Release the boy, now,” the other one ordered, pointing at the Joker. The Joker cackled and waved them off, then whistled loudly. Two hyenas came rushing into the room and at the Batmen, while Joker grabbed Kaden and threw him over his shoulder.

“Bud and Lou will keep you company for a bit! Ta ta for now, Batsy! I’ll see you soon!” Joker called back with a bone chilling laugh. Bruce and Damian exchanged a look and nodded to each other. It was Damian who rushed forward and grabbed the attention of the two hyenas, while Bruce pursued the Joker out of the circus tent and into the grounds of Amusement Mile.

“Face it Batsy! There’s only one way this little dance of ours will ever end! Either you kill me, or I kill you!” The Joker called back, laughing hysterically. Clown thugs began pouring out of hiding places to block off Bruce’s path, all armed with various melee weapons. Bruce growled in annoyance; he didn’t have time for this crap!

* * *

“Come on, you’ve gotta let me help! That’s my brother out there!” Keiran argued with his parents, following them through the Batcave. They took the zeta tube back to Gotham to save precious time in order to help Damian and Bruce track down their missing son. Keiran wanted to help, but his parents, Jason especially, vehemently refused.

“Absolutely not!” Dick scolded, stopping in front of Keiran and lifting off his mask. The teen, who was almost as tall as his papa (only a whole inch shorter) glared at him. Keiran threw his arm toward the display cases of all the costumes.

“Why not?! You and dad were both Robin! Even Uncle Tim and Damian were! You can’t expect me to just sit here and do nothing while Kaden it--”

“Yes we fucking can,” Jason snapped at the teen, silencing him with a glare. He pulled his helmet off and tucked it under his arm and then approached the teen, jabbing him in the chest with his finger. “You’re staying here. That’s final. End of discussion.” Without another word, Jason stormed over to the computer with Dick behind him, to check and see where Bruce and Damian went so they could follow. Once they had the location, they left the cave once more, and headed toward Amusement Mile.

Keiran was left in the cave to his own devices, and he chose to sit at a table nearby and pout. He glared down at the table and made invisible doodles on it with his finger. He hated feeling helpless, knowing his brother was in the Joker’s hands and not being able to  _ do  _ anything. At the same time, he felt he had to; doing nothing sucked, especially knowing someone you cared about was in trouble.

“Master Keiran,” Alfred called from the staircase. Keiran turned and watched as the old butler approached with a tray of tea and cakes in hands. He joined Keiran at the table and handed him a small plate with a cup of tea and a lemon cake on it.

“Thanks Alfred,” Keiran replied, flashing a weak smile. He sipped his tea and sighed, and stared over at the display cases nearby. His entire family, save for Alfred, himself, and his brother, were all heroes. They were  _ his heroes .  _ Knowing that they were out there fighting crime, and right now fighting to save Kaden, gave him this impulsion to act. And yet…

“You’re worried about your brother. I understand,” Alfred started. Keiran looked up from his tea at the old man, who continued “and you want to do something to help. That I understand too.”

“You heard my parents, Alfred. They don’t want or need my help. They told me to stay put,” Keiran replied, glaring at the table again. Alfred laughed a bit, at which Keiran arched a white brow. Was there a joke or something he just missed?

“Master Keiran, do you know how many times Master Bruce told your parents to “stay put” when they were Robin?” Keiran shook his head. “And do you know how many times they listened?” The corner of Keiran’s lip slowly started to curve into a smirk at the implication in Alfred’s words. “While I respect your parents wishes for you to not follow in their footsteps, I’ve also come to realize that I cannot stop you. I couldn't stop _any_ of you. Instead, I will do what I can to aid you, and keep you safe.”

Alfred got up from the table and approached a display case separate from the others, and over by the lockers. Keiran followed after him, eyeing the costume inside curiously. It was a Robin costume no doubt, judging by the colors, but it had sort of an urban jungle vibe to it. It had a Red Jacket with yellow designs on it, black on the back of it and on the shoulders, with a green domino mask. It came with a pair of dark green gauntlets and boots and dark blue pants with black knee pads and a yellow utility belt. But most importantly, was the gold “R” on the chest.

“This was Master Damian’s final Robin Costume. He only ever wore it three times before he donned the mantle of Batman,” Alfred explained. He turned to Keiran and the two shared a quick look before Alfred typed in the password to open the case. “It seems I know Master Damian better than I thought I did. It’s a very sturdy costume while remaining light and easy to move in. Take it, and if the others have a problem with it,” Alfred began, grabbing the costume and handing it to Keiran “you can tell them to speak to Alfred about it.” Keiran grinned from ear to ear as he headed over to the lockers to change into the gear. When he was done, he padded over toward Alfred to show off.

“How do I look?” He asked, holding his arms out wide. Alfred smiled and gave an approving nod.

“You almost remind me of your parents, in their younger days. Your hair though--” Alfred started. Keiran glanced up and ran a hand through his snow white hair. That would be a pretty dead giveaway, wouldn’t it?

“Huh. That’s a problem,” Keiran muttered. Alfred gestured for Keiran to follow and the two of them made their way upstairs into the manor, and to the bathroom. Alfred pulled out a comb and showed it to Keiran.

“Temporary Black Hair Dye. This should do the trick,” he said, flashing a small smile as he combed it through Keiran’s hair. Keiran looked into the mirror when it was done and stared at himself for several silent moments. He looked  _ exactly  _ like Kaden. It wasn’t like it was some big surprise or revelation since they were identical twins,  _ and  _ they’d also attempted to prank their parents in the past with tricks like this, but it was still a little weird to see himself with black hair.

“Wow, looks great,” Keiran commented. Alfred ushered Keiran out of the bathroom and back down to the cave. He gave Keiran a comm device and then moved toward the Batcompuer.

“Now, go and save your brother, Master Keiran. I shall guide you from here,” he offered. Keiran grinned like the devil and made his way over to the lockers again, grabbing a few non-lethal weapons.

“You’re the best, Alfred,” Keiran waved back, heading over toward the vehicles.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “All it takes is one rotten day to transform a normal man into a monster!” The Joker called out, throwing his arms out wide as he continued down the catwalks. “Well, in my case, a rotten day and a chemical bath,” he added, followed by a demented cackle.

Red Hood and Nightwing dived down from the roof above and engaged the Joker’s clown-masked thugs, helping Bruce to deal with them and clear the way to follow the Joker.

“Need a hand, old man?” hood asked, glancing toward Batman. Batman grunted as he elbowed one thug in the face, and threw another over his shoulder and into another one. With all of them dealt with, he turned toward Hood and Nightwing.

“Is Keiran--”

“He’s safe and he’s back at the manor. Let’s go after Kaden before the Joker hurts him,” Nightwing interrupted. He exchanged a look with Hood, who then exchanged a look with Batman.

“I know what you’re thinking--” Bruce started, but Hood slashed his arm through the air and hissed at him angrily.

“Enough protecting that fucking clown! I’m doing what you should have done decades ago!” Hood snapped and took off after the clown before anyone could get a word of protest in otherwise. Damian caught up to them moments later, and then the three of them chased after Red Hood and Joker. 

“Let go of me you demented freak!” Kaden cursed, wriggling and struggling against both his ropes and Joker’s hold. The Joker, still grinning like the devil, escaped from the vigilantes into the fun house. Kaden managed to fish a pocket knife out of his jeans pocket; it had been difficult to do with how tight the ropes were, but he managed to get it out and open it. Sawing at the rope was difficult with the very limited movement he had with his wrists. When he next looked up, the Joker kicked open a door and threw Kaden inside. He turned around and shut it behind himself. 

“Don’t worry, it’ll all be over soon!” The Joker said to him, slowly approaching him with a demented grin spread across his face. Kaden shimmied away from him, managing to cut at least one coil of the rope. It gave him more room to maneuver and soon he cut another and another until he was able to break free.

“Go to hell!” Kaden shouted back, jumping to his feet and dashing away, footsteps letting out a metal clanging sound with each step. He rounded a corner and froze in place as he looked out over the railing below; two giant vats of bubbling green chemicals sat on the bottom floor, with only a single light bulb to light the entire room. “Woah,” Kaden gasped, wondering how in God’s Green Earth the Joker managed to do this.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” came the Joker’s voice from behind him. Kaden turned and saw the clown moving slowly toward him. He backed away slowly, looking for some place to run, to escape to. “All it takes is one rotten day,” The Joker said in a low, serious tone. He continued to approach Kaden as the teen backed away. Kaden turned around and ran down the catwalks, rounding the corner as he tried to escape, but he could still hear the Joker’s voice and footsteps echoing throughout the room.

“All it takes is one rotten day to transform a normal man into a monster!” The Joker called out, throwing his arms out wide as he continued down the catwalks. “Well, in my case, a rotten day  _ and  _ a chemical bath,” he added, followed by a demented cackle.

* * *

The Robin suit Alfred had given to Keiran had a body cam equipped to it, as well as devices to monitor his vitals. Alfred sat at the Batcomputer to instruct and guide Keiran as best he could. He’d done this for many years, on and off for Batman and the various Robins. 

Keiran didn’t have their training, but he was quick, clever, and was proficient in a couple of different martial arts. His parents at least made sure he could defend himself, especially in Gotham City of all places. Jason had taken the extra step to teach him street fighting, which essentially amounted to abusing every dirty trick and move, cheating, fighting dirty, and generally doing whatever it took to win.

“Master Keiran, you’re approaching Amusement Mile. I suggest you switch your mask’s vision over toward X-Ray when you arrive. Approach from the rear, toward the fun house,” Alfred instructed. Robin looked ahead and sure enough, saw the abandoned Amusement Park ahead. He took a turn down a side road and came at the park from behind.

“The fun house?” Robin asked curiously.

“Indeed. The Joker fancies it as his base of operations. That is most likely where you will find him,” Alfred responded. He’d never dealt directly with the Joker himself, but he’d been by Bruce’s side for more than a decade and knew the Joker almost as well as Bruce did at this point.

Robin parked the motorcycle outside of the amusement park, then scaled the fence and headed for the door at the back of the fun house. Just as Alfred had suggested, he switched on the X-Ray vision; sure enough, he saw two figures inside a room, up on an upper floor above a pair of giant vats or tubs. He switched the mask’s vision back to normal and approached the door.

“I’m going in,” Robin said over the comm.

“Be exceedingly cautions, Master Keiran. The joker is  _ very  _ dangerous,” Alfred said to him. Robin slowly opened the door and slipped inside. It was dark and he could hear voices. He switched on the night vision with Alfred’s instructions and looked around. He spotted Kaden crawling across the catwalk and into an office to hide. But he also spotted three thugs approaching him. He ignored his instincts to call out to Kaden and instead, snuck into the room to find a way up without drawing attention.

“Ah Batsy, here we are doing this little song and dance for the umpteenth time,” the Joker’s voice sounded over the intercom. “Let me ask you something; what does it matter if you send me back to the asylum? I think you know after all these years, it won’t matter at all! It certainly doesn’t matter to me!”

Robin kept his eyes peeled, sticking to the shadows. He heard Kaden cry out when one of the men found him and grabbed him.

“Remain calm Master Keiran,” Alfred instructed almost immediately. Keiran took a deep, quiet breath and then watched them drag Kaden off. Once the walkway above was clear of thugs, he quietly pulled himself up and followed after the thugs that took Kaden.

“We’re destined to do this forever, you and I! You won’t kill me, because of your morals, and I won’t kill you,” The Joker’s voice came again, followed by a demented giggle “because you’re just  _too much fun!_ It’s what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object!”

“Freak” Robin muttered to himself. He rounded a corner and saw Joker’s clown thugs tying Kaden up again, this time gagging him as well.

“You had a bad day once, oh yes, I know all about it! You had a bad day and started dressing up like a flying rat! And yet you pretend you’re not as crazy as everyone else! It’s adorable! Ahaha!” The Joker giggled.

Robin snuck into the room, placing a finger over his lips to silence Kaden. When the Joker thugs turned to face him, he lept at them, taking them down as quickly and quietly as possible. He was only fortunate they were carrying melee weapons and not guns. Robin quickly untied Kaden and got rid of the gag, but clamped his hand over the other teen’s mouth and repeated the shushing gesture. Kaden simply nodded in reply.

“Ah but you weren’t content to be a madman, all alone, you dragged a bunch of kids along for the ride with you! I even killed one, and you  _ still _ kept at it! Well, that’s dedication for you!”

Robin quietly led Kaden back down the hallway, careful to check to see if anyone was coming. Bud as he rounded the corner, the Joker stood before them.

“All it takes is one rotten day to transform a normal man, into a monster!” The Joker cackled into the microphone. He tossed it aside and went to grab the teens, but Robin was fast. He lunged forward and kneed the Joker in the chin.

“Run!” Robin shouted. Kaden didn’t waste any time and ran past the Joker, but then he paused.

“Keiran?” He asked, the voice sounding familiar. It was hard to tell when your adrenaline was racing and you were trying to escape from a psychotic crime clown. The Joker giggled again and lunged at Robin, swinging a crowbar. Robin ducked back, then punched his fists together, sending sparks between them; they were combat gloves with a stun add-on just beneath the knuckles. He jumped forward and punched the Joker in the stomach, then used the heel of his palm to deliver a strike to his jaw. He wasted not a moment more and rushed past the Joker. He grabbed Kaden and pulled him along, down the catwalks.

“Keiran, is that you?” Kaden asked, glaring at Robin from behind. Robin didn’t answer him, but glanced over toward the door across the way when both Batmen, Red Hood, and Nightwing burst through the door. Their eyes met across the way, and Robin flashed a nervous smile, even at Nightwing and Red Hood glared at him.

“Behind you!” Nightwing shouted. Robin and Kaden turned around in time to see Joker swinging a crowbar. Robin shoved Kaden out of the way and took the blow, first to his stomach, and then to his face, knocking him over backwards. His back hit the metal walkway hard. He gasped as colors exploded behind his eyes. But as he sat up, he watched as Joker snatched Kaden and wrapped an arm around his throat, forcing him to the edge of the catwalk.

“Say goodbye to the batbrat, Batman!” The Joker giggled hysterically, tossing Kaden over the rail and into the vat of chemicals.

“No!” Both Nightwing and Red Hood shouted in horror. Before anyone else could act, Damian jumped over the rail and lept across the room, grabbing Kaden and then falling to the floor, rolling across it and shielding the teen with his own body to keep him from behind injured. Bruce ran down the catwalk and attempted to pursue Joker, while Robin, Nightwing, and Red Hood jumped over the rail to check on Kaden and Damian.

The Joker cackled as he ran through the room and exited back into the fun house with Batman hot on his heels. Batman found himself first in the hall of mirrors, and could hear the Joker’s voice echoing through the room.

“How many people have died because you let me live?” The Joker asked with a demented giggle. Batman’s eyes narrowed, teeth grating together. “To be honest, I haven’t really kept count, have you?!”

“Yes, I have,” Batman growled. The Joker cackled again, smashing glass. Batman spun around, looking for the source of it. 

“Ooh, so tell me, how many is it? 100? 1,000? Are you gonna kill me now?” The Joker asked, laughing again as he threw a Joker putty bomb at Batman. Batman dived out of the way as it struck the glass behind him and exploded. Batman was thrown forward, rolling across the ground. He groaned and pushed himself to his feet. When he looked up, the Joker was taunting him. Batman gave chase. “Who am I kidding? You can’t kill me! But I can kill you! Kind of a one-sided game when only one side is playing for keeps, isn’t it?”

“This isn’t a damn game, Joker!” Batman snapped at him. The Joker giggled again and dashed up a ramp, into an upside down kitchen. Batman gave chase, then grunted when the Joker ripped a chair off of the roof and hit him with it.

“Why, of course it is! If it wasn’t, why am I still here?” The Joker taunted, throwing Batman into the upside down table as he got up. “So I told a little fib earlier; I won’t kill you! Life won’t be as any fun without you in it! Your little Batkids don’t quite have the same spark of insanity that the two of us share!”

“We’re nothing alike!” Batman growled, punching Joker in the face, then tossing him into a wall. The Joker cackled and ducked out of the way when Batman swung at him, then retreated out of the room, Batman in tow. He pulled out a gun and started firing it at Batman.

“Of course we are! We both had one rotten day, then put on a costume and spent a couple decades killing people!” The Joker called after him. “Well, I was the killer, you were just the accomplice! But I have a new fun game we can play!”

“Shut up!” Batman snarled, throwing three batarangs at Joker. Joker gasped when two of them slashed his arm and leg, but turned to fire more shots at Batman. Batman ducked behind a corner, glass shattering as the bullet impacted it.

“One of these days, you or your little Batkids will screw up, and I’ll kill one of your little grandbats! Just like I killed Jason Todd! Then we can meet in Arkham and have a few laughs, then do it all over again!”

“Never again! I’ll  _ never  _ allow you to hurt  _ them ,  _ or  _ anyone else! _ Never again!” Batman roared, diving at the Joker and tackling him. The two of them crashed into a glass wall nearby with Batman pinning Joker to the ground. He started raining punches down on the Joker’s face, face twisted in rage.

“How many people have I murdered by allowing you to live?! And now you threaten my grandchildren?!” Batman roared. He wrapped his hands around the Joker’s throat and began to squeeze. The Joker clutched at his hands and let out a strangled, wheezing laugh.

“Yes...that’s it! The moment we’ve both dreamed of!” he breathed out, grinning like the devil. Batman’s eyes narrowed as he squeezed tighter.

“Bruce, stop!” Red Hood called from behind him. Bruce paused and looked over his shoulder at him.

“You were right, Jason...he won’t ever stop...I’m so sorry I--”

“Don’t kill him,” Red Hood said to him. “You can’t.” Bruce stared silently at Jason, hands still wrapped around the Joker’s throat. “You probably really want to. And you could kill him, easily. But you don’t want to.”

“Jason, I--”

“When I first came back, I  _ wanted  _ you to kill him. I wanted revenge for my murder. I...I thought you didn’t love me, that I was just a soldier. Expendable,” Jason began to explain, pulling off his helmet. “And for years, I held that grudge against you. It took me a long time to fully understand what you meant that night, when you explained why you couldn’t kill him. I wish I’d told you this years ago, but my pride…” Jason paused, staring down at the ground.

“Go ahead and kill me! It’s the only way I’ll ever stop!” the Joker wheezed, letting out another strained giggle.

“You don’t want to do this, Bruce. And I’m here to remind you of that. Let him go.” Bruce was still staring at Jason as he slowly loosened his grip on the Joker. Joker growled, glaring at Jason. Bruce stood up and looked back at the Joker in disgust, then Jason approached him.

“Thank you, Jason,” Bruce murmured, hugging his son. Jason hugged him back and when he parted from the man, he gestured back inside.

“Go check on the boys,” Jason said evenly, eyes locking with Batman’s, his cowl still covering his eyes. Batman stared back for a moment, then looked back at the Joker.

“Jason--”

“Go check on the twins. Make sure they’re alright,” Jason insisted with a serious look on his face. Batman knew what was going to happen if he left Jason along with the Joker. Without saying a word, they both silently acknowledged that fact.  _ You don’t have to kill him. But you don’t have to save him either. _

“No! This is wrong! Batman is supposed to kill me!” The Joker cried out, watching as Batman walked away from the scene. Jason watched him go, and then turned back to the Joker, kicking him in the jaw when he tried to get to his feet. “No, this can’t be real! This is not the way this ends!”

Jason pointed his gun at Joker, glaring down at the demented clown.

“Yeah, I’m afraid it is. You lose, clown,” Jason replied, flashing a grin. “It’s oddly satisfying, actually; denying you your ultimate victory is... _ so much sweeter  _ than killing you. That--” 

_ BANG...BANG...BANG… _

“--Is just icing on the cake.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So...it was all true then? Everything the Joker said? You’re all…” Kaden started, swallowing hard.

The atmosphere at the manor was tense, with Bruce and Damian retreating to the cave as soon as they returned. Jason and Dick fussed over Kaden, who had Benji, their basenji dog, in his lap. Alfred had gone to the apartment to fetch the dog before they got back. After all, he couldn’t be left there alone all night, could he? 

As for Keiran, his parents were pissed, to say the least. Pissed with his little stunt, stealing a Robin costume and a vehicle and blatantly disobeying them. First they made him wash the hair dye out of his hair, and then they were prepared to scold him until Alfred revealed that his little Robin stunt was _his_ idea; neither of them had the courage to argue with Alfred.

But they were silent about the elephant in the room; namely that Kaden was now aware of their second lives, their vigilante lives. They avoided talking about it for as long as possible, although in Jason and Dick’s defense, they were busy fussing over Kaden and making sure he was okay.

But Kaden also seemed to be avoiding that topic and was happily letting his parents fuss over him while he sat there flashing the occasional smile and letting his thoughts run wild. Benji was content to sit in his lap and let Kaden pet him, and the teen seemed perfectly content to do just that. He exchanged an occasional glance with Keiran, who wasn’t even able to look at his brother; Keiran knew Kaden wouldn’t be pleased with him when they started getting into this.

“I have tea and cakes,” Alfred called, making his way into the living room. Benji’s head perked up and his tail wagged when Alfred entered the room. And of course, Alfred made sure to pet him when he entered. 

Keiran was sitting on a love seat off to the right of the coffee table in the middle of the room, with Kaden sandwiched between his parents on the sofa. Alfred set the tea down on the coffee table and handed out the cups of tea, everyone’s favorites. He then sat in the armchair between the sofa and the love seat with a cup of tea for himself. They waited in silence for a few minutes for Bruce and Damian, who joined them a couple of minutes later.

Bruce sat in the armchair to the left of the sofa, and Damian took a seat on the love seat beside Keiran. It was an unspoken thing, that they needed to talk. Kaden would have questions and after everything he’d been through, he deserved answers. But nobody spoke, not right away. They took a moment to enjoy their tea and perhaps, relax a little for what was to come.

Finally, Kaden looked around the room at everyone, his eyes stopped at Keiran. Keiran flinched at his brother’s gaze and averted his eyes; he felt guilt, felt the sting of betrayal in his brother’s eyes as well.

“So...it was all true then? Everything the Joker said? You’re all…” Kaden started, swallowing hard. He looked around at everyone again, his eyes stopping on his father, who couldn’t even bring himself to look at him.

“It’s all true. I am-- _was_ \--Batman,” Bruce started off. He glanced over at Damian, who cleared his throat and at up right.

“I was Robin, Boy Wonder, but I took up the mantle when father... _reluctantly ..._ retired,” Damian added in. He gestured to Jason and Dick and added “they were each Robin before me. Dick was the first, and Jason was the second.”

“And Tim was the third?” Kaden asked. Damian nodded in reply. Kaden turned to Dick then.

“And you’re...Nightwing?” he asked. Dick flashed a weak smile and waved his fingers to the teen.

“Um, yeah. Your favorite hero,” he replied, trying to get into Kaden’s good graces and soften the blow a little. Kaden’s eyes widened and now he looked like a fanboy. That was until his eyes fell upon his father and his expression faded.

“Then it’s true...that...dad, you’re--”

“The Red Hood, yes,” Jason interrupted. Kaden nodded, trying to stay calm, but then he glared at Keiran.

”And you, you were in that Robin costume. How long did you know all of this?” he asked accusingly. Keiran flinched at the severity in his twin’s tone, but cleared his throat and spoke honestly.

“I’ve known for a few months,” he replied. Kaden stared at Keiran in a mix of shock and anger.

“You’ve known for months, and you didn’t tell me?! Your own brother?! We’re supposed to be able to talk to each other about _anything!_ ” Kaden snapped, voice thick with hurt and a sense of betrayal. Benji jumped out of Kaden’s lap as the teen jumped to his feet, and made his way over to Damian. Kaden started pacing back and forth, fingers digging through his hair.

“And you!” He pointed at his father. Jason still couldn’t bring himself to look at him because he knew what was coming. “You’re a _criminal?!_ A damn _Crime Lord_ no less! And the rest of you, you’re all heroes!” Kaden kept fumbling over his own words after that, confusion, anger, betrayal, and hurt all mixing together in a nasty brew.

“Kaden, let us explain--” Dick said gently, getting to his feet and approaching the teen. But Kaden flinched away from his papa and glared at him, at all of them. 

“And you! You were Robin--” He shouted, pointing accusingly at Keiran, but Jason cut in right there.

“He wasn’t, Kaden. We specifically told Keiran to stay put, and he disobeyed us,” Jason said, shooting a glare at Keiran. Alfred cleared his throat and Jason’s glare faded; he wasn’t going to pick _that_ fight.

“He is correct, Kaden. Keiran has never been Robin. Of that, I promise you,” Damian filled in. Kaden took a few deep breaths and started pacing again. 

“I can’t _believe_ this! I mean, I can stand you guys being heroes and maybe not telling me to protect me or something, but you--” Kaden started, pointing at Keiran “-- _knew_ and said nothing! And you--” Kaden pointed at his father now. “You’re...you’re a criminal!” Kaden bowed his head and sighed.

“What else have you been lying to me about?” Kaden muttered.

“More than you know,” came Talia’s voice. Everyone looked in her direction as she entered the manor, cleaning off her sword before sheathing it.

“Great, and I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that my mother is an assassin or something?!” Kaden snapped, throwing his arm out in her direction.

“You are correct,” Talia answered honestly. Kaden snorted in disbelief which followed by a laugh. 

“Well, I haven’t seen her in, well, ever, but at least _she_ was honest with me!”

“Kades--” Keiran started, but Kaden threw his hands up angrily.

“I think I’m going to go to Uncle Clark’s farm alone this weekend. I need to be alone for a while,” Kaden said evenly before storming out of the room, and up the stairs to his bedroom in the manor. Everyone else was left to feel guilty, save for Alfred and Talia, it seemed.

“Why are you even here?” Jason snapped at her. Talia snorted and waved her hand dismissively.

“Do not lash out at me for _your_ mistakes. Had you been honest with him from the start--” Talia started, but Jason jumped to his feet and glared at her.

“What, are you here to criticize my parenting too? That’d be woefully ironic, considering you were never _in_ their lives!” Jason snapped again, gesturing toward Keiran. Talia’s expression darkened for a moment, then softened once again.

“No, I did not. If I were to speak honestly, I’d say you did a fine job,” she professed. Jason stared at her in surprise; that hadn’t been the answer he was expecting to hear. “The truth is, you gave them a normal home and a normal life. That was something I could never give them.”

“Kaden will come around in time. He’ll understand that soon,” Alfred chimed in then, all eyes falling onto him. “He is a teenager, which means he’s moody. Hormones and all. Believe me, I’ve dealt with every single one of you as teenagers. I suspect I could write a book at this point. I think I’ll call it _The Bats and the Birds_ _._ ”

Jason snickered with held back laughter, but Dick had no such inhibitions and just laughed. Keiran joined him, and even Bruce and Damian seemed amused by the comment. 

Dick got to his feet and placed a hand on Jason’s shoulder. They shared a look and then Dick kissed him, soft and sweet.

“Ugh, you guys are gross,” Keiran complained.

“Alfred is right, Jay. Give it time. Kaden will come around.”

* * *

Kaden sat at the kitchen table of the Kent house with his arms folded on the table and his chin resting on his arms. He’d donned a simple black t-shirt and a pair of jeans and had come down stairs from the guest bedroom for breakfast. He glanced over at Clark who was reading the newspaper and drinking coffee beside him, then toward Lois and an elderly Martha who were both preparing breakfast. He’d found some mild amusement in watching Lois and Martha argue a little bit over preparing breakfast; Lois insisted Martha sit down and let her cook, while Martha argued “this is my kitchen, young lady!”

He had a rather glum look on his face though, having learned that not only were the members of his family all heroes, but the Kents were too. Clark was Superman and Jon and Connor were both Superboy. He had started to feel like his entire life was a lie. 

But none of it hurt worse than knowing his dad was a criminal. _My dad is the Red Hood._ It was also confusing though, because while he grew up, his dad was always bad mouthing The Red Hood and telling both him and Keiran that he was a criminal. Why would his dad _do_ that?

“Breakfast is ready!” Lois shouted. Kaden flicked his eyes over toward the stairwell at what sounded like a pack of elephants coming down the stairs, followed by the sound of laughter. Connor and Jon came down the stairs, playfully pushing and shoving each other. Jon was in his early twenties but didn't look much larger than Connor. They _were_ living in Metropolis, until they decided to move back to the farm a few years ago. City life was, apparently, less appealing than the farm. And Jon seemed to _love_ the farm. Not that Kaden could blame him; he did too.

Kaden arched an eyebrow as he looked over Connor, who wore the same black Superman t-shirt he almost always wore and a pair of plain jeans. The gold earring though was curious; how did a Kryptonian pierce their ears? Weren’t they supposed to be invulnerable? 

“Boys, what have I said about rough housing?” Lois scolded the two of them. Both boys straightened up immediately.

“Uh. That we could get carried away and break something?” Jon answered, flashing a sheepish smile as he ruffled his own jet black hair. He playfully jabbed Connor in the side with his elbow.

“Sorry Lois,” Connor replied, playfully shoving him back. The two boys sat down at the table and continued to quietly tease each other a little bit. Kaden was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Connor looked the exact same age as himself; Connor was chronologically, only 9 years old. Apparently, he was some kind of science project of Lex Luthor's. This was all going to take some time to get used to.

“Hey Kades, what’s wrong?” Jon asked, sharing a quick look with Connor. Kaden sat up and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Nothing,” Kaden lied. Clark cleared his throat and looked at the two Kryptonian teenagers over the top of his newspaper.

“He’s still reeling about everything that he’s learned the last few days about his parents and all of us,” Clark put in. Kaden glared at him, to which Clark only flashed a smile. Martha and Lois came over to the table then with plates of food for everyone; eggs, bacon, toast, and hash, then joined them at the table.

Kaden sighed and raked a hand through his hair, looking around the table at the familiar faces that now seemed...less familiar. Although he wasn’t going to lie, he felt a bit like a fanboy too, because _these were his heroes!_ He’d always felt especially drawn to Superboy, both of them, probably because they were his age! Or at least one of them was anyway.

“Yeah, I guess. Does it ever feel lonely, being surrounded by all these heroes?” Kaden asked Lois and Martha. Jon laughed as he sipped his orange juice and gestured toward his mother.

“Actually, mom is a badass,” he said, earning a glare from his mother.

“Jonathan Samuel Kent. Language,” she scolded.

“A little bit,” Martha admitted as she took a bite of her eggs. “My situation is a bit different though; I’m a mother and a grandmother. So of course I worry for my boys,” she said, reaching over to Connor and ruffling the teen’s hair while flashing a smile. Kaden smiled a little bit at the family dynamic here; three of them were Kryptonians, all heroes, and yet sitting here now, they seemed like a normal family. And when he thought about it, his own family was pretty normal even before he learned about their “night lives”.

Keiran smirked a little bit at Martha’s reply, pushing his food around on his plate and just staring at it. Clark patted the teen’s back, drawing his attention.

“Your father _isn’t_ a criminal, Kaden. Not in the way you might think.” Kaden arched an eyebrow at the comment. What was that supposed to mean? Clark seemed to pick up on his confusion so he cleared his throat and continued. “What I mean is, your father has taken a... _different_ approach to fighting crime. I can’t say I approve, but your dad also grew up differently than the rest of us. He _experienced_ Gotham’s crime first hand. All I can conclude is that he’s doing things his way, and he honestly believes it’s the best way.”

“But he’s--” Kaden started, still confused to hear Superman, of all people, trying to justify it.

“Let me put it this way; Bruce and I don’t agree on a whole lot,” Clark started again, earning snickers of amusement from Jon and Connor, but he ignored it and continued. “But I respect him. Your papa, Dick Grayson, _Nightwing_ , is respected by the _entire_ hero community. Neither of them have made a move against Jason, and Dick actually _married_ him.”

Kaden stared down at his food again, a thoughtful expression on his face. It made him start to reconsider things, to think of it in a different way.

“Yeah,” Kaden murmured.

“I think that should tell you all you need to know about your dad. You still love him, right?” Clark asked. Kaden looked over at the man and nodded without a moment’s hesitation. “Then _talk to him._ I don’t know his motivations and nobody can except him. Now,” Clark finished his breakfast and then stood up from the table. He looked around the table at Kaden, Connor, and Jon. “You boys finish your breakfast and come help with the chores around the farm. Afterward, I can give you a few more horse riding lessons. How’s that sound, Kades?” Kaden grinned from ear to ear at that and nodded.

“Yeah, sounds great!” he said, and started eating his breakfast in earnest.

* * *

The rest of Kaden’s weekend at the farm had been far more exciting than he could have imagined; Clark took him on a little tour of the Fortress of Solitude while he was there. Now that the cat was out of the bag and they didn’t have to hide their hero identities anymore, he didn’t see the harm in it. And of course, Kaden also got to meet Wonder Woman, who turned out to be his “Auntie Di” (that childhood nickname stuck, even into his teen years), which was _awesome_. 

But eventually it was time to come home and so Kaden made his way up the stairs to his apartment. He stood in front of the door with his bag slung over his shoulder and sighed. He fished through his pocket for his keys and unlocked the door and pushed it open.

“I’m home!” he called, closing the door behind himself and kicked his does off at the door. He hung his jacket up on the coat rack nearby and looked around the apartment. His parents were passed out on the couch with Jason reclined on his back, with Dick laying on top of him, his cheek pressed against Jason’s chest, and Jason’s arms wrapped around him.

Kaden cringed at the sight of them but opted to let them sleep. He turned when he heard Benji yelping, running down the hall, tail wagging excitedly. Kaden’s face lit up as he knelt down, only for Benji to pounce on him, knocking him down on his butt and licking his face excitedly. Kaden hugged the dog, giggling as he patted him.

“I missed you too, Benji,” he cooed, patting the dog. He let him go and giggled a bit when Benji started doing laps around the house. He looked up when he saw Keiran padding down the hall out of their shared bedroom barefoot and wearing a red t-shirt and black jeans.

“Kaden, hey!” Keiran greeted, flashing a smile. Kaden grinned at his brother and hugged the white-haired teen, much to his surprise.

“Uh...so I guess you’re not mad anymore?” Keiran asked.

“Nah, I’m over it,” Kaden answered, moving into the kitchen while trying to avoid stepping on Benji, who ran excitedly around his legs. He glanced over toward the living room when he heard a yawn and saw his papa waking up. Dick stretched and then so did Jason. Dick looked up at hid husband and brushed a lock of white out of his eyes.

“Hey handsome,” he murmured with a tired smile. Jason managed a small smile as well, staring at Dick through half lidded eyes as they shared a gentle kiss.

“Ugh, so gross,” Kaden and Keiran complained in unison. The two men turned their attention to the twins, then slowly parted, sitting up and stretched their tired limbs. Jason ruffled his own hair as he stared at Kaden.

“Hey champ, how was the farm?” he asked. Kaden padded into the living room and sat down on the armchair nearby, with Keiran behind him and leaning against the back of the chair.

“It was great, actually. Uncle Clark gave me some more horseback riding lessons after we finished the morning chores on the farm, and then he took me on a tour of the Fortress of Solitude before I came home,” Kaden answered, flashing a grin up at Keiran as the other teen gasped.

“You got to see the Fortress of Solitude?! You lucky bitch,” Keiran snapped playfully. His parents both smiled and chuckled at the teen’s enthusiasm, then shared a look.

“Listen, Kades--” Jason started, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, but Kaden interrupted.

“I know what you’re gonna say dad, and...well...I guess I kinda wanna talk, too,” Kaden said to him. Jason and Dick exchanged another look, then he turned back to his son and nodded.

“I’ll go make lunch. Come help me, Keiran,” Dick said to the other teen, gesturing for him to follow him into the kitchen. Kaden pulled himself out of the arm chair and sat down on the couch beside his father. Jason started by wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pressing a kiss to his temple.

“You know I’d never do anything to hurt you, right?” he asked. Kaden nodded.

“I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alas, this had to come to an end eventually, and yet I still have this insatiable desire to keep writing. x3 Not sure what to do next, thought maybe the twins will eventually take to the streets, who knows? >:3
> 
> I plan to continue doing small stories for "Two of a Kind", because it's fun. If anyone's got any ideas for prompts, whether it's for this series, another series, or something new entirely, please feel free to share them; now's as good a time as any since I'm on this mad writing binge, lmao. Don't have a tumblr or anything else, but that's by design. Not a fan of social media in general. ~_~ 
> 
> But as always, I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Thanks. ^^


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